Niteon launches first African neo-bank designed for African manufacturers to unlock $200bn digital export market  

Niteon, Nigeria’s leading digital export marketplace, has launched Niteon Capital, the first neobank designed exclusively for African manufacturers. Unlike traditional banks, Niteon Capital delivers tailored solutions, including invoice financing, Sharia-compliant credit, export wallets with tax advantages, and infrastructure loans, directly within Niteon’s global trade ecosystem. With backing from Seedstars, Zenith Bank, and the Development Bank of Nigeria, plus a newly opened $1.5 million equity and $5 million debt round, Niteon is positioning itself as the financial engine behind Africa’s industrial growth. This isn’t just fintech, it’s a structural solution to one of Africa’s deepest trade constraints.
Niteon, one of Nigeria’s largest digital export marketplace, Founded by Nigerian entrepreneurs, Tony Nwose and Daniel Chukwuemelie, the US-based startup has already built a reputation for helping verified African manufacturers, spanning agriculture, fabrics and minerals products connect seamlessly to international buyers. With operational footprints in the US, UK, Canada, and South Asia, and a recent FDA Global Partner License unlocking export access to the United States, Niteon is already a formidable force in African digital trade. The launch of Niteon Capital, comes as the company gears up for its $1.5 million equity and $5 million debt seed round, signalling a bold expansion into fintech infrastructure to complement its fast-growing marketplace, and taking aim at a deeper, more entrenched problem: Manufacturers’ finance.
“African manufacturers are doing the hard work, but they’re being underserved by traditional banks. There’s no financial infrastructure built for them,” says CEO Tony Nwose. “Niteon Capital changes that.”
Unlike conventional digital banks, Niteon Capital isn’t designed for just anyone. It’s engineered specifically for manufacturers and exporters. This includes: invoice & Procurement Financing; to help factories fulfill large purchase orders without cash flow delays. Sharia-Compliant Financing: Opening access to ethical financing models for manufacturers across Northern Nigeria and other Islamic markets. Export Wallet Accounts: A revolutionary new financial tool that allows manufacturers to operate export-ready accounts with built-in tax advantages, carbon credit earnings, and multi-currency support. Infrastructure Loans: Medium-term financing to upgrade machinery, facilities, or logistics capabilities—ensuring African manufacturers can meet global standards.
The entire system is embedded directly into Niteon’s growing export ecosystem, reducing friction between buyers, sellers, logistics providers, and now… banking. The launch of Niteon Capital marks a key inflection point in Niteon’s trajectory, from a B2B marketplace into a comprehensive export ecosystem. It’s not just about matching buyers and sellers anymore. It’s about solving the systemic constraints that have stifled Africa’s trade capacity for decades. Backed by global players like Seedstars, Tomi Davis, TVC Labs, Zenith Bank, and the Development Bank of Nigeria, Niteon is now positioning itself as a TradeTech leader, building infrastructure that rivals anything on the continent. “We’re not just scaling a platform,” co-founder Daniel Chukwuemelie adds. “We’re building the financial engine behind Africa’s industrial growth story.” As Niteon rolls out Niteon Capital across its network, the team has opened its $1.5M equity and $5M debt seed round to strategic partners looking to accelerate African trade. The funding will power neobank expansion, licensing, deeper AI integration, and onboarding of over 20,000 manufacturers by Q4 2025. This is not just another fintech product. It’s a blueprint for how Africa will finance its own industrial future from factory floor to global warehouse.